Episode 18: Seeing is Believing
One night had passed since Dragaunus' demise and the Ducks had more problems to deal with Louran and Wraith.
They were out patrolling the forest highway in the Migrator, along with the two princesses as Tanya had informed them that she received a reading of a spell page in the area.
"It should be around here somewhere," she said to the group.
"You're right Tanya, my sensors are going crazy, which means we're getting close," Pearl replied.
The Migrator continued on, but there was no sign of anything out on the road.
"Pearl, I thought you said we were getting close?" Nosedive asked, with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Nosedive, don't be rude," his brother warned.
"I know we are, it must be—Wildwing, watch out!" Pearl cried out as she spotted a black figure in the middle of the road.
The leader slammed on the brakes and the Migrator spun around several times before coming to a stop at the edge of a cliff.
"Whoa, that was way too close!" Mallory exclaimed as they entered out of the Migrator.
"What was that thing? I hope we didn't hit it," Subria replied.
Just then, a rustling noise was heard and the black ran into the bushes, and Wildwing went after it.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Who are you?!" he shouted, but the figure kept on running to the top of the hill.
"Wildwing, slow down!" Pearl called out and ran after the mallard.
The leader lost sight of the figure and came close to the edge of another cliff.
"Listen, we're not going to hurt you. Just show yourself and we'll be on our way," Wildwing said, wondering if someone heard him.
Then, a stick snapped and the mallard turned around to the source, but what he saw surprised him.
Under the light of the moon, Wildwing could see the face of his lost comrade, Canard Thunderbeak.
"Canard?" he whispered, stepping towards the figure.
Pearl spotted Wildwing and rushed towards him, but she stopped when she spotted something else.
"Oh no," she gasped and made a mad dash towards the mallard.
Wildwing walked towards Canard, but he made a backwards step towards the cliff.
"Canard, how did you get out of Limbo?" the leader asked, but the figure gave no reply.
Just as Pearl was about to reach out for Wildwing, she hit something hard, and she fell to the ground.
"Wildwing, stop! It's a trick!" she cried out, but the mallard didn't seem to hear.
"Canard, talk to me, what are you doing?" the leader asked, but suddenly, he realized he stepped off the cliff and was falling towards the road.
"Bro!" Nosedive cried out as the Ducks watch helplessly as their leader fell towards earth.
Pearl rushed towards the cliff and summoned the spell book, turning to the 'Flower' page.
"'Flower', make a pillow of petals!" she demanded and the spell did as it was told.
The 'Flower' summoned millions of petals on the road, just in time as Wildwing hit the ground, softly though.
"Oh my gosh, what has gotten into you, Wing?" Duke asked, angrily, but he noticed that his commander was knocked out.
Pearl returned to the group, "Is Wildwing all right?" she demanded.
"He's fine, just out cold, what happened?" Tanya asked.
"I'll explain when we get back to the Pond, it's not safe here," the princess replied and they carried the unconscious leader back to the Migrator and they hurried back to headquarters.
()()()()()()()
In the infirmary, Wildwing woke up to see Pearl leaning over him.
"How are you feeling? I'm sorry, the 'Flower' was the only spell that had something soft for you to land on," the princess said to him as he stood up.
"What…what happened?" the leader asked, but then remembered something, "Canard! I saw Canard!"
"Canard? But that's impossible, last time it was Chameleon in disguise, and this time, if it was Canard, he almost got you killed!" Nosedive reminded his brother.
"I swear, it was Canard, but why would he do that?" Wildwing asked and Pearl placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It wasn't Canard, it was a spell, the 'Illusion'," she replied and explains, "The 'Illusion' is a trickster spell; it shows one's desires or fears, but it makes people…or Ducks get injured, like you for instance."
Wildwing didn't know what to say; instead he stood up from the bed and left the infirmary and Pearl went after him.
"Wildwing, it wasn't your fault, you just had a moment of weakness, everyone does," the princess said to him.
"I should've been more observant, but he appeared so real, I thought he really did come back," the mallard replied, placing a hand over his eyes.
"I know what you are going through, but I swear to you, there is one spell that can bring him back," Pearl said, again and adds, "If you help me in capturing that spell and all the others, I'll help you by getting your friend back, but I need you to be strong."
"All right, if I did it before, then I can do it, again," Wildwing answered and Pearl gave him a squeezing hug.
"Good, but we have to wait till tomorrow night, the spell vanished when you fell from the cliff," Pearl informed and the mallard nodded.
"Hey bro, you okay?" Nosedive asked when he walked in on them.
"Tell the others to get some rest, we'll be going back to the cliffs tomorrow night," Wildwing ordered and Nosedive blinked in confusion.
"And go after that thing? Have you lost your mind?" the young mallard asked.
"Do you want a spell to live freely out there and torment passerby's with their fears and desires?" Pearl questioned him.
"Okay, I get the point," Nosedive said, annoyed and he left the room.
"You should get to bed, too, we need you in capturing that spell," Wildwing said to Pearl.
The two princesses left the headquarters and the leader sat down on his bed.
"Bro, you have to tell her, about your feelings," Nosedive said to his brother when they settled in their room.
"I want to tell her, but there's this thing inside me telling me to wait for the right time, and I am waiting," Wildwing replied, slumping his head down on a pillow.
"Call me crazy, but I hear wedding bells," the young mallard said, but his brother threw a pillow at him.
"I'm not that seriously into her!" he replied, but Nosedive gave a look.
"Oh yes you are, you're in serious L-O-V-E," he teased, making Wildwing's face turn red.
They, however, were too tired to start a bickering match and they went to bed.
()()()()()()()
Pearl found herself in the Aero-Wing with the Ducks on broad and Tanya was yelling, "The worm is too powerful, I can't shake it off!"
"What else can we do?!" Wildwing shouted.
Just then, another Duck, who was wearing the mask, one that Pearl hadn't seen before, opened the door to the outside, and she saw the glowing worm.
"Canard, what are you doing?!" Wildwing cried out, stopping the Duck.
"I'm going to take down this worm myself!" he replied.
"Are you crazy?!" Wildwing cried back.
Canard then handed over the mask, but Wildwing refused, Pearl could see the look of horror on his face.
Suddenly, the worm looped its tail around Canard's foot, and it pulled him outside.
Wildwing was able to grab him by the arm, but Canard slipped, however Wildwing grabbed the mask.
"Take it, you're team captain now," Canard last spoke and let go and he fell.
"CANARD!" Pearl screamed and there was a flash of light.
Pearl shot her head up, awaking from the nightmare, and it was over.
She panted hard, as sweat trickled down from her forehead, and her heart pounded so loud that Subria awoke.
"Milady, is everything okay?" she asked, reaching for her spear.
"I'm all right, just a bad dream," the princess answered and got up.
"Where are you going?" Subria asked, again.
"I'm going to call Wildwing, I have to ask him something," Pearl replied and she went to phone in the living room.
She punched in the Ducks' number and it ranged and she waited.
"Hello?" a groggy voice asked.
"Wildwing?" Pearl said and she heard him gasp.
"Pearl? What's the matter?" he asked.
"I had a dream, I need you to tell me, is it the same as that day," Pearl said and explained the dream to him.
After she finished, Wildwing was silent, but only for a moment. "Yes, it is all true. I try so hard to get rid of that memory, but it is so difficult," he said to her.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have called," Pearl replied.
"No, I'm glad you did, it makes me feel more determined in finding that spell you mentioned, but we have to capture this one," Wildwing informed.
"All right, I'll see you in the morning," Pearl replied.
"Good night, I lo-" Wildwing stopped talking; he almost spilled out the words.
"What did you say?" Pearl asked, confused.
"Nothing, I'm sorry, good night," the mallard said, again and they hung up.
"Oh Drake! I can't believe that I almost said it!" he almost yelled it all out, "Now she'll probably think I'm a jerk!"
"Wildwing?" a tried Tanya walked in, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, I need to be alone," the leader informed and the sleepily Tanya went back to bed.
'What if Nosedive is right? I need to tell her,' Wildwing thought to himself, 'But what if the others don't accept it?'
The mallard returned to his bed and slept uneasily for the rest of the night.
()()()()()()()
By the next evening, the Ducks and the two princesses returned to the cliff side road.
"You better slow down, my sensors indicate that we're close," Pearl informed Nosedive, who was driving the Migrator.
"I do hope you're right, otherwise I—" Nosedive slammed on the brakes as he spotted the same figure in the middle of the road.
The figure ran off into the woods and Wildwing hurried after it. "Wildwing, remember the plan!" Pearl shouted out, but he was out of ear shot and she went after him with the others behind her.
When Wildwing came to the same clearing, he cries out, "Listen, I don't want any trouble, so please, show yourself!"
Then, a bush rustled and Wildwing turned to see the same figure, Canard.
"Canard, please tell me it's you," the mallard asked, stepping towards him.
The ducks and Pearl and Subria found Wildwing and the figure, but each of the ducks gave a different reply.
"Is that a portal to our home?" Tanya asked.
"Whoa, I've never seen so much gold. Wait, what am I saying?" Duke replied.
"I see tranquility beyond that portal," Grin informed.
"Dad?" Mallory spoke, placing a hand over her mouth.
"Wow, all you can eat buffet!" Nosedive glimmered, his mouth watering.
Pearl and Subria, however, slapped all of out the trance, "Get a grip, that is the 'Illusion' spell, it's tricking you!" the African princess warned.
"Wildwing, please, snap out of it! That is not Canard!" Pearl shouted, hoping her words would penetrate him.
The mallard heard them and immediately realized what he was doing.
"You're not Canard!" he shouted at the figure, "I know the real Canard would never put me in harm's way! It's game over for you, 'Illusion'."
Suddenly, the figure transformed into a white, transparent body and it featured different illusionist features.
"Pearl, quick!" Wildwing called out to the princess and she opened the book.
"'Illusion', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" she ordered and the spell's body whirled around in the air and it took vacancy in an empty page.
"What happened? I swore that I saw a portal to our home," Tanya said, but Pearl featured the spell page.
"As I said, the 'Illusion' features one's desires or fears, and Wildwing managed to look pass that and see its true nature," Pearl replied, handing him a pen.
"But I fell for it, twice, I don't deserve to put my name here," the mallard said, but the princess placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You saw its true nature and admitted something about Canard to it, that's when it realized that it failed to trick you, a second time," Pearl replied and Wildwing nodded, writing his signature on the page.
"Last night, I want to know, what was it that you try to say?" she asked, but the mallard gave an embarrassed look.
"I was tired, I don't remember what I said," he replied, quickly.
"Oh, you have to have a memory of a goldfish in order to say something like that," she said, a bit annoyed.
"Ouch! She told on you, bro!" Nosedive exclaimed and the others laughed.
"I swear, I don't remember," Wildwing replied, but Pearl shook her head.
"All right, I believe you, for now," she said and they watched as the moon rose over the horizon.